Shipment Optimization

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving an order for a plurality of items over a network, wherein each of the plurality of items is located in a fulfillment center; identifying, for each of the plurality of items, a container having the item; obtaining a plurality of images depicting at least one aspect of the fulfillment center; processing, for each of the identified containers, at least one of the plurality of images to identify a unique location with respect to a floor plan of the fulfillment center of the identified container; wherein the processing includes: optically recognizing an identifier of the container depicted in the at least one of the plurality of images; optically recognizing an identifier applied to a structural portion of the fulfillment center depicted in the at least one of the images, wherein the identifier applied to the structural portion of the fulfillment center corresponds to a position with respect to the floor plan of the fulfillment center; and determining the unique location based at least in part on the optically recognized identifier of the identified container and the optically recognized identifier applied to the structural portion of the fulfillment center; and determining a minimum practicable distance between each of the identified containers based at least in part on the determined unique locations of the identified containers; determining an optimal path for retrieving the plurality of items from the fulfillment center based at least in part on the minimum practicable distances between each of the identified containers; and providing information regarding the optimal path to at least one worker, wherein the information comprises an instruction to retrieve each of the plurality of items from the fulfillment center along the optimal path.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein processing the at least one of the plurality of images to identify the unique location with respect to the floor plan of the fulfillment center of each of the identified containers further includes: extrapolating the unique location with respect to the floor plan of the container from the at least one of the plurality of images.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein providing information regarding the optimal path to the at least one worker further comprises: transmitting the information regarding the optimal path to a computing device associated with the worker over the network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the container includes at least one of: text, numbers, a one-dimensional bar code, or a two-dimensional bar code.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a minimum practicable distance between each of the identified containers is further based at least in part on a location with respect to the floor plan of the fulfillment center of an aisle or a row.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images are captured by cameras subsequent to the order being received.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining an optimal path includes determining a specific order for the plurality of items to be retrieved.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying a lead time for the order; determining a delay window for the order based at least in part on the determined lead time; subsequent to the receiving the order, receiving within the determined delay window a second order for a second plurality of items; determining that a destination of the second order and a destination of the order are the same; identifying, for each of the second plurality of items, a container having the item; wherein, for each of the second plurality of items, processing at least one of the plurality of images to identify a unique location of the identified container with respect to the floor plan of the fulfillment center.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: prior to the processing the at least one of the plurality of images, combining the plurality of images into a composite image.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the floor plan of the fulfillment center includes at least one of a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional representation of the fulfillment center and the unique location of each identified container includes a corresponding two-dimensional coordinate or three-dimensional coordinate.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a computer system having at least one computer processor to perform a method comprising: receiving information regarding an order comprising a plurality of items, wherein each of the plurality of items is stored in a facility; receiving information regarding at least one image depicting at least one aspect of the facility, wherein the information regarding the at least one image is maintained in at least one data store; for each of the plurality of items, determining a unique location with respect to a floor plan of the facility of the item based at least in part on an analysis of the at least one image; determining a minimum practicable distance between each of the plurality of items of the order based at least in part on the determined unique locations; generating a first path for retrieving the plurality of items of the order based at least in part on the determined unique location of each of the plurality of items and the determined minimum practicable distances; and storing an association between the order and the first path in the at least one data store.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises: providing information regarding the first path to a worker, wherein the information comprises an instruction to retrieve the plurality of items from the facility along the first path.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein providing the information regarding the first path to the worker further comprises: transmitting the information regarding the first path to a computing device associated with the worker.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises: identifying an origin of the first path based at least in part on a location signal provided by a device of a worker, wherein the generating the first path is further based at least in part on the origin.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving the information regarding at least one image depicting the at least one aspect of the facility further comprises: capturing the at least one image depicting the at least one aspect of the facility; and storing the information regarding the at least one image in the at least one data store.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one aspect of the facility is one of the plurality of items.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one aspect of the facility is a storage element of the facility.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the storage element of the facility is at least one of: a shelf within the facility; an aisle within the facility; a wall within the facility; a floor within the facility; a ceiling within the facility; or a container comprising at least one of the plurality of items of the order within the facility.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the facility comprises at least one recording device configured to capture the at least one image.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining the unique location with respect to the floor plan of the facility further comprises: determining the unique location with resect to the floor an of the facility of the at least one aspect of the facility based at least in part on the analysis of the at least one image; and associating the unique location with respect to the floor plan of the facility of the at least one aspect of the facility with at least one of the plurality of items of the order.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein determining the unique location of the at least one aspect of the facility comprises: recognizing the at least one aspect of the facility depicted in the at least one image.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the at least one aspect of the facility includes at least one marking associated with a location, and wherein determining the unique location of the at least one aspect of the facility further comprises: extrapolating the unique location of the item based at least in part on the location associated with the at least one marking.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving the information regarding the at least one image depicting the at least one aspect of the facility comprises: receiving a plurality of images depicting at least a portion of the facility, wherein the portion of the facility comprises the at least one aspect; and wherein determining the unique location with respect to the floor plan of the facility of the item comprises: analyzing at least one of the plurality of images depicting at least the portion of the facility to determine a location of the at least one aspect of the facility; and associating the location of the at least one aspect of the facility with the item.

24. A system for processing orders for items comprising: a fulfillment center having a storage area comprising a plurality of bins for storing items; a plurality of imaging devices mounted within the storage area, wherein the imaging devices are configured to capture images of the storage area; and a networked computing device having at least one computer processor configured to at least: cause a capturing of a plurality of images of the storage area using at least one of the plurality of imaging devices; receive information regarding an order for a plurality of items; determine, for each of the plurality of items of the order, a bin within the storage area in which the item of the order is stored; process the plurality of images to determine, for each of the bins, a unique location with respect to a floor plan of the storage area, wherein the unique location of a first bin is processed based at least in part on an analysis of an identifier of the first bin that is depicted in at least one of the plurality of images; determine distances between each of the bins in which the plurality of items of the order are stored based at least in part on the determined unique locations; generate an optimal path for retrieving the plurality of items associated with the order from the bins in which the plurality of items of the order are stored based at least in part on the determined distances; and transmit information regarding the optimal path to a computer device associated with a worker.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the networked computing device having the at least one computer processor is further configured to at least: determine a unique location with respect to the floor plan of the fulfillment center of the computer device associated with the worker based at least in part on a location signal provided b computer device; determine a unique location of the worker within the fulfillment center based at least in part on the location signal of the computer device of the worker; and determine a destination for the plurality of items of the order within the fulfillment center, wherein the optimal path is generated based at least in part on the determined unique location of the worker and the determined destination of the items of the order.

26. The system of claim 24 , wherein the networked computing device having the at least one computer processor is further configured to at least: recognize a marked identifier within at least one of the plurality of images; and associate the marked identifier with one of the bins in which the plurality of items of the order are stored.

27. The system of claim 24 , wherein the networked computing device having the at least one computer processor is further configured to at least: recognize a storage element of the storage area within at least a first one of the plurality of images; determine a location of the storage element with respect to the floor plan from at least the first one of the plurality of images; recognize one of the bins in which the plurality of items of the order are stored within at least a second one of the plurality of images; and extrapolate a unique location of the one of the bins based at least in part on the determined location of the storage element.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the storage element is at least one of: a shelf within the storage area; an aisle within the storage area; a wall within the storage area; a floor within the storage area; or a ceiling within the storage area.